Veronica DeSantos Ryan
Hispanic Heritage Month: Keeping Traditions Alive in an Interracial Marriage
When I got married, I changed my last name, like many women before me have done. However, when I did that, my name changed from being a clearly hispanic name. Obviously there is nothing...
Austin Fall Bucket List: 100 Things to do in Austin this Fall
It’s fall y'all! The weather is finally starting to cool off (hopefully) and it’s time to get outside. There are so many things to do in Austin this Fall -- it may be hard to...
I Don’t Want My Son To Play Football
I love sports. I was lucky enough to be a coach for soccer, track, and cross country for several years when I taught middle school. Every year, I had to go through a required...
The Real Cost of Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding. Yes I did it, but I’m going to be completely honest here -- there's a cost of breastfeeding. I don’t really like doing it. Dare I say, I kind of hated it. That...
What I Learned During my First Year as a Parent
When you become pregnant, many well intentioned people will want to give you advice. It might get annoying. Honestly you will get so much advice that most of it will go in one ear...
My Kid Eats What I Eat
Before I had a kid I never thought much about what it would take to feed one. I mean eating is such a basic human function that doesn't require much thought. But once my...
Making My Own Smash Cake: To Sugar or Not to Sugar?
If you would have asked me before I had a child if I would ever bake my kid’s cakes, I probably would have said no. However once my child started to eat solid foods,...
Taking Care of a Pet is NOT the Same as Caring for a Baby
I am a proud dog mom to two dogs; Dora and Diego. My husband and I raised them each from puppyhood after adopting them at a shelter. I am also proud human mom to...
Why I’m Not Throwing My One-Year-Old a Birthday Party
After much consideration and back and forth discussion, my husband and I decided not to have a party for our soon to be one-year-old. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still planning on giving him...
A Letter to my Wife on Mother’s Day
Dear Roni (aka Hot Stuff),
The month of May means something more than it did 10 years ago. We used to walk up and down brick laden streets in our warming Ohio college town. We...